WRUP: The magical world inside a Hong Kong refrigerator edition

At least, I think it's a Hong Kong refrigerator. The file on Wikimedia Commons seems to imply that, and all the food is labeled in a language I don't speak, so I'd believe that it's reasonably labeled Chinese or very poorly labeled German. Either way, this week we're going to take a look inside the fridge and... well, honestly, it kind of looks like a college minifridge, except with actual food instead of enough beer to murder a horse. Live the adventure!

What? Not enough for you? Well, you could always embark on one of the various adventures that the Massively staff will be undertaking over the weekend, something that this edition of WRUP will explain in detail like it does every week. And we've also taken a moment to share our own thoughts on lifetime subscriptions, which is also something not to be found within the refrigerator. You know what, just click past the break; the fridge isn't going to get all that awesome until the next patch anyhow.
Beau Hindman (@Beau_Hindman): I will be deciding whether to not sub to Dark Age of Camelot, since this current trial is over. Then, I'm moving on to my next Rise and Shiny game, although I'm not sure what that will be. I'm finishing up my time with Regnum Online -- which is a good thing.

How do I feel about lifetime subs? For myself, I think they're absolutely silly. I also find it a little strange that many players I know who are against any form or RMT or cash-shop games will gladly shell out two or 300 dollars, all without even seeing the game released. Again, this is only for me, but I think that every lifetime sub I have seen offered has ended up turning into a free-to-play game anyway. Subs, in themselves, are a bad deal for me. I might sub here and there, but in general I am being charged for something I might or might not use -- even basic access. I can see an uber fan buying one, though, which is good for them as long as they feel they got a great deal.

Regarding the bonus question, a lifetime subscription option is a pretty obvious instant cash-grab strategy. It's useful to issue a limited number of lifetime subs if an MMO's developers need the advance cash to cover a shortfall early in the game's life. Beyond that, a company would only make more money from a lifetime sub than normal sub if it expects buyers would have gotten bored before the 6-to-12 month mark. Having a permanent or regularly occurring deal on lifetime subs tells me developers aren't confident in the future of their game. Pushing a lifetime sub option before a game is even released is a similarly dodgy move that makes me think the company isn't even confident in how its game will do in the few months after launch.

I've never bought a lifetime sub, not because I'm against them, but because I've never found a game trustworthy or appealing enough to merit that kind of investment sight-unseen. Besides, I like to try new games and pause old ones from time to time, meaning it would take a really long time for me to get my money's worth from a lifer.
Eliot Lefebvre: Aside from taking part in the City of Heroeslivestream event on Saturday, I'm going to be mixing it up with Final Fantasy XIV and giving Perpetuum a shot. I do so love giant robots, after all. I'm also considering going on a DLC binge with Dragon Age: Origins, as I've not yet completed two new packs and I do so love BioWare as well.

Lifetime subscriptions are a wonderful idea for the player, but not so much for the developer who winds up losing out over the long term. It's for that reason that I'm always hopeful for the option but unsurprised that it doesn't exist more frequently -- though technically it does for Guild Wars.

Greg Waller: I'll be playing a mish-mash combination of Warhammer Online and Fallout: New Vegas this weekend. Yes, I know, FO:NV isn't an MMO. As for lifetime subs, I have to say no. No, I've never considered buying one in the past and certainly wouldn't any time in the future. To me, so much can change so unexpectedly and so quickly that I can only see myself ending up disappointed with such a sub. Take Champions Online for example. Oh man, I would feel so burned by that one. I feel really bad for the people that actually got LT subs for CO, and then Cryptic turns around and goes the F2P route? Ouch.
Jef Reahard:Darkfall for me, and if work schedules permit, Age of Conan.

I thought Lord of the Rings Online's lifetime sub was a great deal at launch, as it paid for itself in just over a year and you got everything in the game for that price. If it's an IP (or game) that I know I'll be interested in for 12 - 18 months (and if you get all the content), a lifetime sub is the penultimate deal. It's such a good deal that I doubt we'll be seeing any like that again, tbh.

As for lifetime subscriptions, I'm dubious. I did purchase a lifetime subscription to Free Realms, because it was only $25 and my family plays it enough to justify that price. I don't see myself paying hundreds of dollars for an unproven game though.

Krystalle Voecks (@Krystalle): More EVE Online for me this weekend since I spent most of the last week sick and didn't get a chance to put any time in towards the jump clone faction grind. Aside from that, I'll also be playing a couple of betas that I can't name. I'm having entirely too much fun playing them, despite also doing a lot of bug reporting.

As for lifetime subs, I generally don't bother. While I'm sure I'd have saved an arm and a leg on a couple of games, I'm wary of making that kind of investment. There have been entirely too many titles that either went F2P or collapsed altogether for me to trust shelling out several hundred dollars up front.

Lisa Poisso (@emused): I'm spending the weekend AFK at family events and driving to meet up with an old friend I haven't seen in way too long -- good times ahead. And speaking of old friends, while I've never bought a lifetime sub for anything, I wish EverQuest had offered them back when I was an active subscriber. I'm greatly attached to my annual look-see around Norrath, and I might spend even more time dabbling about if I had a lifetime sub already on the books.

MJ Guthrie: Sadly, I was vanquished by the boss mob Illness this entire last week and am just now coming out of it. You don't want to see my soul healing bill...

What time I can manage will be devoted to the exploring the lower-level solo instances in Aion and maybe helping recapture some forts. I also have plans to download the Darkfall trial and give it a go. Believe it or not, I looked forward to that game for a long while but lost interest close to its release. Now, after all they have done with it, I am ready to hop in and get my feet (or paws) wet.

As for lifetime accounts, I was gifted one and it was great! Even though I took a break from the game, I still played it enough to get more than full-value out of it. The best part was that I could drop in anytime I had a free moment (even during the busy and hard months), keeping up with friends and doing small things, whereas with a monthly sub, I couldn't have justified resubbing for just a few minutes here and there. It allowed me to continue being a part of the game and community. Since I like to settle in a game, this concept is a great one for me; however, I agree it is a gamble as to whether or not the game will even be around long enough to make the value worth it.

Patrick Mackey: I'm really busy this weekend with various mundane IRL issues. Any gaming I get done will probably be offline, maybe some Minecraft or Touhou Hisoutensoku. I don't think I'll have a whole lot of time for gaming though, as my life has been pretty busy.

Lifetime subs are kind of gambling, because you generally have to commit before you really know the game. Ultimately the decision for lifetime subs really comes down to how much disposable money a person has. It is really nice to not have to worry about a monthly bill, and if I decide to take a long break, I can come back if I get the itch. This is probably the nicest thing about F2P with microtransaction games, or games with a singular box cost like Guild Wars. If I want to come back, the most commitment I have to make is a reinstall.

Ryan Greene (@ThatGayNerd): My weekend will revolve around going to the Notre Dame vs. Army game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night. I'll be in Times Square at noon to catch the Notre Dame marching band, then I plan to pre-game, during-game and post-game like a champion. Sunday will be for recovery (i.e., napping and reading comic books). As for the bonus question, lifetime subs are not for me. I'm an inveterate MMO tourist who rarely makes it past the free-trial period, so lifetiming any game -- other than World of Warcraft, which I never leave for long -- wouldn't make any sense. At the start of every weekend, we catch up with the Massively staff members and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" (Otherwise known as: WRUP!) Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game -- and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!